Seventeen firefighters have completed requirements to graduate Firefighter Class 198 of the Mississippi State Fire Academy, including one from Brookhaven.

Firefighter Heath Haas Jr. and the others will graduate the academy’s National Fire Protection Association 1001 Firefighter I-II course in a ceremony Thursday, Sept. 22, at the No. 1 Fire Academy USA in Jackson.

This intense seven-week course includes online, classroom, and hands-on instruction in the areas of fire behavior, fire suppression, rescue, incident command, hazardous materials and other fire related topics. This course meets and exceeds the National Fire Protection Association for Firefighter Qualifications and the uniform minimum training standards stated in the Mississippi Code section 45-11-7.

MSFA is a division of the Mississippi Insurance Department. State Fire Marshal Mike Chaney and Academy Executive Director Terry Wages believe these firefighters will be an asset to the fire departments they represent.

“We are excited for them to go and serve their community,” Wages said.

Graduates are: Heath Haas Jr., Brookhaven; Thomas Cockrell, Batesville; Peyton Bell and Cobi B. John, Choctaw; Brandon Montgomery, Hernando; Jeremy Deonte’ Henley, Laurel; Nickolaus Bratzler, Long Beach; Jared Dillard, New Albany; Joseph Reeves and Sidney Snyder, Olive Branch; Miciah Heard, Israel Ojeda and David Wilhite, Oxford; Casey Burge and Amanda Richardson, Petal; Noah T. Adams, Reservoir; and William Bo Payne, Senatobia.